This invention relates primarily to an animal feed supplement and, more particularly to improvements in an animal feed supplement in block form and most particularly to a method of treating or preventing iron deficiency anemia in baby pigs.
The danger of iron deficiency anemia occurs within the first three or four weeks of life of the baby pig. During this period the baby pig lives by natural preference on the sow's milk which has a very low iron content. Iron deficiency anemia in baby pigs may result from a low iron content in the sow's milk, low amount of iron in the baby pig at birth, low amount of available iron in the pig's environment and a rapid rate of growth. Iron deficiency anemia can be prevented by a supplemental supply of iron, provided the anemia has not become so severe as to produce permanent damage.
The ingestion of dirt and sod by baby pigs in order to prevent anemia has obvious disadvantages. Modern methods being practiced to prevent iron deficiency include iron supplementation either orally or by injection. These procedures are labor intensive and expensive. There are many known salts of iron which can be administered to the baby pig in an effort to prevent iron deficiency anemia. The present invention is based on the discovery that the inclusion of a nutritional iron source in a molasses based nutrient feed block will provide the baby pig with a palatable method of treating iron deficiency anemia while also supplying energy in the supplement.
Copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 893,736 is directed to animal feed blocks and the preparation thereof wherein molasses, water, clay, and a phosphorous source are subjected to high speed shearing action to obtain a dispersed mixture thereof; and thereafter magnesium oxide and a blocking agent, ferrous sulfate, are added to the mixture to obtain a nutrient feed block which sets to become hard and weather resistant in one hour or less at ambient temperature.